Certify, notarise & apostille

What an apostille does

An apostille is a certificate issued under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Between countries that are parties to the Convention, it replaces the longer chain of consular legalisation.

According to the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), an apostille certifies only the origin of the public document: the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the signer acted and the identity of any seal or stamp. It does not certify that the content of the document is correct.

Each party to the Convention designates its own competent authority to issue apostilles. The authority, fee and processing time differ from country to country.

• Certifies: signature, capacity of the signer, seal or stamp
• Does not certify: the content of the document
• Issued by: the competent authority of the country where the document was issued

Apostille or consular legalisation

If both the issuing country and the destination country are parties to the Apostille Convention, an apostille is usually all that is needed. The HCCH publishes the current list of contracting parties, and it changes as countries join.

If the destination country is not a party, the document normally goes through consular legalisation. That typically means certification in the issuing country, then authentication by its foreign ministry, then legalisation by the destination country's embassy or consulate. It takes longer and each step has its own fee.

Some countries accept apostilles only from certain other parties, because a party can object to another's accession. We check the current position for your pair of countries before we start.

Why the order of steps matters

An apostille can only be placed on a public document. A private document or a plain copy usually has to be certified or notarised first, so that there is an official signature for the apostille to confirm.

A set done in the wrong order can be rejected. A translation added after the apostille, for example, may not be covered by it. Where a translation is needed, we confirm with the recipient whether it should be certified before or after the apostille.

Documents we commonly handle

Most orders involve a small set of core corporate documents. We can also certify copies of passports and address proofs for directors and shareholders when a bank or registry abroad asks for them.

• Certificate of incorporation and constitution or articles
• Registers of directors and members
• Certificates of good standing and incumbency
• Board and shareholder resolutions, powers of attorney
• Passports and address proofs of directors and shareholders

How long a set takes

A straightforward apostille set usually takes 3 to 10 days, including courier. The main variables are the competent authority's processing time, whether a notary appointment is needed, and the distance the originals travel.

Consular legalisation takes longer, because the foreign ministry and the destination country's embassy each process the document in turn. Some embassies accept documents only on certain days or by appointment.

Several countries now issue electronic apostilles that the recipient can verify online. Where the issuing country offers one and the recipient accepts it, it removes courier time from the chain. We tell you when that option exists.